There is a sensational scene in Mani
Ratnam’s Kaatru VeLiyidai where VC
(Karthi), a fighter pilot, takes Leela Abraham (Aditi Rao Hydari, playing a Doctor) on a ride
on one of his planes. While the plane is
still on the ground, Leela reveals something about her sibling, a connection
that VC never knew existed. VC requests
her repeatedly to smile – he comments that the siblings have a very similar
grin – making Leela conscious. Nevertheless,
she secretly enjoys the extra attention that this revelation has led to. As the plane’s engine revs up, the camera shakes
vigorously and then steadies up as the plane takes flight. (We get the feeling
that we are on the flight with them!) Overcome
by the beauty of the snow-kissed mountains and basking in the flickering of her
heart’s lamp, Leela’s defenses are lowered for the first time, and certainly
not the last.
This sequence, which ends outside
Leela’s house (when VC drops her off), is an example of so much that is good
about this movie – a complex romance set in the time of the Kargil war - as
well as the elements that don’t work. First
and foremost, Aditi’s magnificent performance - she owns this movie. Her ability to confidently hold lengthy
close-up shots, switch expressions in a matter of seconds and project feelings
of strength, disappointment and vulnerability all equally well, are truly
awe-inspiring. This scene, as is the
movie, is this actor’s showcase. Secondly,
the staging and the cinematography. The
frames that Ratnam and cinematographer Ravi Varman compose, deserve approbation
not only for the beauty of the visuals but also a certain ineffable quality that
they bring to the movie. Soul, perhaps? Just the way this flight scene and several
other sequences are shot, take us to the emotional core of many moments than
the way those sequences were written.
But one marvelous performance and
superb staging alone cannot make a movie.
As I think beyond these two elements, some of the issues of Kaatru VeLiyidai come to the fore. Firstly, Karthi’s uneven performance. It is a challenging role for him, no
doubt. This character is not soaked in
shades of white and is markedly different from any of the roles that he has
played thus far. And, I didn’t know
where to lay the blame for the weakness of his performance - at his feet, the
writer’s or just the fact that his casting didn’t work. Maybe it’s a combination of more than one
factor. Actors like Karthik (in his
heyday), Madhavan and Dulquer Salman have a twinkle in their eye and an
easygoing onscreen persona that bring a certain amount of effortless charm to
their acting. But they can also go a
step further and combine that innate persona with a certain edge, resulting in
a magical concoction. Karthik in Agni Natchathiram, Madhavan in Aaytha Ezhuthu and Irudhi Sutru, Dulquer in Kali,
are instances of the persona of the actor finding a perfect match in a multi-layered
role. That sadly is not the case with
Karthi here and the struggle shows on screen.
Be it the scene outside Aditi’s house where he sings a song or the
seemingly interminable monologue at the dinner table where he tries to allay the
concerns of Aditi’s parents, there is something constantly off-key about him in
Kaatru VeLiyidai. It is a relief that he makes the all-important
climactic sequence work; he is fantastic here.
As I mentioned
earlier, the staging of some of the sequences is so fabulous that it
overshadows the writing at times. That
is a good thing because I found the writing to be similar to Karthi’s
performance – sparkling in some parts, unconvincing in others. The episode featuring Karthi’s family, for
instance, is written horribly. The purpose
of this extended sequence is to show the origins of Karthi’s selfishness and shades
of a male chauvinistic attitude (despite an innate goodness). But the writing is so clunky that the
emotional resonance is zilch. Had Karthi’s
confrontation with his father and Aditi at the hospital worked, our empathy for
his character would have increased manifold.
(To see how this can be done effectively, watch the “Raji madhiri ponnu”
episode of Suhasini’s Penn, where Raghuvaran
plays a spoiled child who inherited bad habits from his Dad. It is available on Youtube.)
The sequence where
Karthi escapes from the Rawalpindi prison is, again, a deftly shot action sequence
with a scintillating background score. But this sequence should have evoked the level of tension of the Shah Rukh - Kamal
Hassan soda factory sequence in Hey Ram. Instead, I was appalled at the apparent effortlessness
(with the police firing from all sides) with which Karthi goes to the back of
the truck. Sure, he is supposedly a fearless
fighter pilot but a little more tension would have been more apropos. I mention this in the context of the writing
to underscore the fact that the staging, at times, doesn’t find an able partner
in the content. And that hurts the movie. When we should be witnessing VC's desperation to get back to Leela, we instead see someone escape from a prison in another country as though he is playing a video game.
But when the writing works,
as is the case with the plane sequence that I mentioned at the start, the result is
memorable. This is also the case with
some of the scenes with more depth. The pregnancy
scene is one where it all comes together beautifully.
This scene – as opposed to the
unbearable dinner table monologue – is one that has a stunning start, slowly building
tension and an unforgettable conclusion.
As the camera gently zooms in from up above, moving towards the two
characters lying in bed, the drama – aided by the splendid lines – intensifies. The actors too don’t miss a
beat here, explaining their stance in a manner that seems just right, given the
nature of their characters.
The other reason
why I think this movie didn’t transcend from a supremely well-crafted, interesting
romance into a classic is because outside of Aditi and (to a much lesser
extent) Karthi, none of the characters registered. While one might think that it is not a huge
factor in a movie that is laser-focused on its lead pair, I beg to differ. Strong supporting characters can add a lot of
weight to the drama. And the good ones
will even do things to enhance the lead actor’s performance. Let me explain. Delhi Ganesh appears in this movie in a
miniscule role as Aditi’s grandpa. But
there is no presence. It is no fault of
this great actor; it’s just that there is nothing for him to do except be
around. Contrast this to another example featuring the
same actor. In Nayagan – the ultimate one-man show, you
might think – Ganesh plays the role of a loyal aide of Kamal’s. In none of the scenes does he have a great
deal to do. But in the crucial funeral
scene, as Kamal nears the dead body of his son, Ganesh gently says, “Vendaam Naaykare…kozhandhaiku
nerupu kaayam nerayya patruku…” What it
adds to the impact of Kamal’s performance is hard to quantify but the impact is absolutely real. There is not one such moment here
featuring the talented Ganesh, RJ Balaji, Rukmini or the wooden non-actors that play Karthi’s
family members. And, Kaatru VeLiyidai is poorer for that.
As I walked out
of the movie, there were frames that kept flitting in and
out of my mind’s eye. It is a testament
to Ratnam’s ability as a filmmaker that so many differing thoughts were
occupying my mind in lieu of a simple, “I enjoyed it” or “No, I hated it.” But it is the same Ratnam that has given me
more fulfilling experiences. So, at the
end of the day, Kaatru VeLiyidai might have fallen short of the Himalayan peaks
scaled by not only Karthi’s planes in this movie but also several of Ratnam’s previous
ventures. But he surely does take us on
one hell of a ride.
***
